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Sunday, 5 February 2012

Jim's column 4.2.12

John Craven

As I sat listening to BBC CWR's commentary from Bloomfield
Road, Blackpool on Tuesday night I, like City fans all around the world, was
wondering if this season's away hoodoo was on the verge of being ended. Leading
for twenty five nail-biting minutes through Conor Thomas' first senior goal,
three points and the first away victory looked more than possible. Then, like
at Crystal Palace and at home to Burnley, the opponents did a smash and grab
raid to send Andy Thorn and his men back down the M6 pointless and I presume
utterly depressed. That scourge of City, Kevin Phillips, came on as a
substitute (what a luxury Ian Holloway has) and along with other subs Bednar
and Fleck, grabbed a victory out of the jaws of defeat. Someone pointed out
that City have dropped five points to Blackpool in the dying minutes this
season after their very late equaliser at the Ricoh earlier in the campaign.

In context it was not an unexpected defeat, Blackpool, fresh out of the Premier
League have a bigger budget than the Sky Blues and a much bigger squad -
comparison of the two benches on the night confirms this - and the Tangerines
will be paying players like Phillips, Bednar and Barry Ferguson will not be on
low wages. As usual though the loss is depressing because we were leading with
87 minutes on the clock. Bloomfield Road remains a graveyard for City where
they have failed to win since their solitary victory in 1923 and gained a
solitary point in Eleven other league trips. I remember following City there
twice in the 1970-71 season, the only year that the clubs were both in the top
flight at the same time. Despite having Tommy Hutchison and another future City
player, the abrasive late John Craven, Blackpool were one of the poorest sides
in the top division in City's 34-year stay there. However they easily beat City
3-1 in a pre-season friendly and won the league game in December, 1-0 with
Craven scoring. If I remember correctly the Seasiders won only one more game
all season. Defeat for the Sky Blues in 1970 was almost a depressing as Tuesday
night but back then at least the team were comfortably in mid-table.

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About Me

I have supported Coventry City FC since my first visit to Highfield Road in 1962. I am the club's official historian and have a regular column in the Coventry Telegraph. Here I would like to enable my readers who can't buy the paper to access my columns and comment.